Senator Smith Leads Push on USDA to More Quickly Allocate COVID-19 Relief Funds to Bolster Rural Broadband Access

Sen Tina Smith (D-MN) led her Senate colleagues in calling on the US Department of Agriculture (USDA) to speed up spending the resources allocated within COVID-19 relief legislation to expand broadband access for Minnesota families and people across the country. In her letter to Agriculture Secretary Sonny Perdue, Sen Smith and her colleagues point out that Congress recognized the urgent need for broadband access in rural communities, and made sure the CARES Act included $100 million for the ReConnect Program. However, much of the allocated funds are still unspent. "he COVID-19 pandemic has proven that broadband isn’t just nice, it is necessary for our nation’s economy to work for everyone," they wrote.

Sen Smith’s letter was also signed by Sens Amy Klobuchar (D-MN), Kirsten Gillibrand (D-NY), Doug Jones (D-AL), Jeffrey A. Merkley (D-OR), Tammy Baldwin (D-WI), Robert P. Casey, Jr. (D-PA), Kyrsten Sinema (D-AZ) and Richard J. Durbin (D-IL).